ncredibly smart, tough, skilled big man, a double-double machine at the NCAA level. With the exception of possibly Andrew Bogut, Ike Diogu is easily the most skilled big man in the NCAA.

First his frame. He is lean, but very strong, with big broad shoulders that can take more bulk if needed. His arms are long and his hands are fantastic--soft, but huge, and he uses them to gobble up any rebound that is even remotely in his area. He is a simply a beast on the glass, using his excellent combination of strength (both upper and lower body), a terrific wingspan, fantastic anticipation skills and athletic ability to predict where the ball is headed and then devour any rebound that comes his way, on both the offensive and defensive glass. He is extremely tough to put a body on because he is constantly moving, has a slithery frame and just loves to bang in the post.

Offensively, he is about as skilled as they come. He can score from anywhere on the floor, and in many different ways. Inside the paint he has outstanding footwork, and he gets off the floor quickly and always finishes strong at the hoop, even in the most difficult situations. If backing his man down to the basket isn't working, he can quickly convert and hit the turnaround jumper, maybe with a little kiss off the glass, a great skill to have for a big man in the NBA.

Diogu has great motor skills and controls his body better than any other post player at the college level. He has a wide arsenal of moves he can go to, and can finish well with either hand, even in traffic. No one in America outside the NBA is better than Diogu at getting to the line. He is sent to the charity stripe roughly 10 times a game, and converts 80% of his attempts. He's not the type of player that needs plays called for him, as he can probably live off scraps if needed and still get a double-double if the minutes are there.

Diogu plays Center right now for his team, but will have no problem moving to the 4 spot in the pros. He has a beautiful (although not super consistent yet) jumper with a high release that makes it extremely tough to block. He is a solid mid-range shooter, but has range that extends all the way to the NCAA three point line, and shoots a good percentage when he steps behind the arc and lets one fly. He's very good on the pick and roll as well.

Diogu's handle is very good for a PF. It's not rare to see him dribble the ball confidently down the floor, and his excellent feel for the game allows him to lead the break and deliver good passes in transition. He is very good moving without the ball, understands the angles and how to use them, and is quick at recognizing a hole in the defense and exploit it. Diogu understands the team concept and has no problem getting everyone else involved, despite being the undisputed star of his team; he is an unselfish player and still shoots an incredible percentage from the field for a player that draws so much attention. His court demeanor is excellent, cool and calm, and he appears to be a very good teammate on and off the floor. He is a humble player with a good work ethic according to everyone around him.

Diogu is a very intelligent player that is fundamentally sound. He spaces himself well to avoid the constant double teaming that is thrown his way, and understands the game well enough to make it easy for his teammates to get him the ball or score themselves. He knows how to clear space without drawing a foul to open up the lane for a slashing teammate, and will move to exactly the right space to receive the pass and finish in emphatic fashion.

Defensively, Diogu has become a terrific shotblocker this year, especially from the weak-side. His timing is fantastic and he gets off the floor quickly and accurately to intimidate and come up with huge rejections, but usually still keeping the ball inbounds. He is very tough to back down in the paint because of his excellent lower body strength, but he has yet to be fully unleashed on this end because of how important he is to Arizona State. To call them a one man team would be a compliment, if Diogu is not on the floor they have absolutely no chance of beating anyone in the Pac-10, and would struggle against almost any Division 1 team. His lateral quickness looks decent at times and not so great in others, but you can tell that he has been told to do anything to avoid getting in foul trouble at all costs, and that shows.

Weaknesses:

His size will always be the main one. He's listed at 6-8 and should be in good, although not ideal shape as long as he stays there after measurements. Any less than that could spell trouble for him.

Athletically, he's not a run/jump type freak. If you combine those two physical attributes its not a stretch to say that he won't find it as easy to finish around the basket as he does in the NCAA. His jump shot is solid right now, but could use some more consistency.

Defensively, he is largely untested, as he does not play in a conference that is overflowing with NBA caliber big men, and his man to man defense could stand to improve, especially when going up against much taller and more athletic players in the NBA.

He doesn't have superstar potential, he's more of a solid starting type PF at his size.

The Nets, like many other teams, are unsure of how tonight's unpredictable draft will play out, with several trade scenarios that could alter things.

Warrick seems tailor-made to run alongside Kidd, with explosive leaping ability that has made him one of the best finishers in the draft. However, many wonder if he can do much else.

"I think he can make me better and a more dangerous player," Warrick said of Kidd. The Nets could take the safe pick and add May, the Final Four MVP with sound post moves, if he is there. Villanueva could go as high as in the bottom half of the top 10 but he says he doesn't mind slipping to the Nets.

Stefanski has said the Nets plan to take the best player available, regardless of need. So even though the Nets can get bigger, they could draft McCants, who certainly would help the Nets address their shooting woes.

McCants averaged 17 points in the NCAA Tournament. He made at least one three-pointer in 46 of his last 48 games. Garcia would be another shooter who could improve the Nets' perimeter stats. If the Nets don't pick a shooter in the first round, they may in the second round, someone such as Michigan State's Alan Anderson.

I'm not sure about Gomes but I do think Villanueva will be a bust. He has talent but he has attitude issues, is not the hardest worker and is a selfish player. I would stay clear of Villanueva if I was a GM.

Nets may have their eye on a UNC Tar Heel ... but it might not be Sean May

I'd prefer May b/c I think he fills mroe of a need but I would be very happy w/ Rashad too- the more Heels the better Rashad would give the Nets a great shooter but we already have enough wings even though only Carter can shoot so i'm not sure Rashad would be the best way to go but if they love him that much you take him and who knows what deals can be made down the road.

I'm not sure about Gomes but I do think Villanueva will be a bust. He has talent but he has attitude issues, is not the hardest worker and is a selfish player. I would stay clear of Villanueva if I was a GM.

I'd prefer May b/c I think he fills mroe of a need but I would be very happy w/ Rashad too- the more Heels the better Rashad would give the Nets a great shooter but we already have enough wings even though only Carter can shoot so i'm not sure Rashad would be the best way to go but if they love him that much you take him and who knows what deals can be made down the road.

Junc, it makes perfect sense if the Nets land Rahim ... then we have our PF, the starting 5 is set, and McCants would Give us that designated Gunslinger off the bench, which is always the ideal 6th man ... and we do need a PURE SHOOTER as well

I agree that the Greater need is PF ... no doubt about it ... and the lesser need is a Gunslinger {i.e. Shooter} ... but we can fill BOTH NEEDS if we were to draft McCants and sign Rahim as a FA

Nets may have their eye on a UNC Tar Heel ... but it might not be Sean May

According to the daily news, they may be drafting the Gunslinger from UNC instead

Wouldn't be a bad pick either

Sure a PF is the Greater need, but this team needs a Gunslinger who can come off the bench and pop the J as well

And this pick would especially make sense if the Nets can then land Shareef Abdur-Rahim as has been rumored
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If the Nets can land Rahim it makes perfect sense. He would be a great fit for the Nets as the replacement for MArtin that they wanted. They desperately wanted him last off season, but couldnt work the deal out, in part I think because of the owner not being sure what he wanted to do(wheras now he seems to be in full spend mode). They just released Cliff Robinson to save 6 million and they were right around the cap number to begin with. Finally having Mutombo off the books probably gives them some flexibility to add someone like Rahim. If you put Rahim on the Nets team at the very least they are heading into the season as the number 3 team in the East.

Junc, it makes perfect sense if the Nets land Rahim ... then we have our PF, the starting 5 is set, and McCants would Give us that designated Gunslinger off the bench, which is always the ideal 6th man ... and we do need a PURE SHOOTER as well

I agree that the Greater need is PF ... no doubt about it ... and the lesser need is a Gunslinger {i.e. Shooter} ... but we can fill BOTH NEEDS if we were to draft McCants and sign Rahim as a FA

PS. McCants also provides some insurance if we were to lose Carter for any length of time ... and he is not the most durable player in the league as you well know

I agree w/ this, the only potential problem I can see is how will McCants take to coming off the bench? He's not as crazy as the madia perceives him but he can sulk at times. I think he would be ok w/ it at first but somewhere down the road if he's not getting major minutes and starting he could be a bit of a problem.